by Joe Dever
‘If ever you visit Lucia Province,’ she says, leaning from the open window of her carriage, ‘be sure to visit my estate in Gadorvo.’
‘I would be honoured, my lady,’ you reply, and wave to her until, at last, her carriage and riders disappear into the hills.
The weather is warmer than of late and you make good progress despite the poor condition of the road. An hour past midday, as you are crossing a treeless valley, you happen upon a young man praying at a wayside shrine. He is dressed in a guildsman's tunic and cloak, and he appears to be unarmed.
If you wish to stop and question this young man, turn to 170.
If you decide to ignore him and continue on your way, turn to 19.
300
The stench of the circular pit is almost unbearable. The floor is covered with a brackish green slime in which a host of flea-infested rats are scratching for food. In the dim half-light you watch with a mixture of fascination and revulsion as these vicious rats burrow nose-first into the evil-smelling mire, pausing only to fight when one of them uncovers the prey that they are hunting for: glistening, black-bodied worms.
Using your Magnakai skill of Nexus, you are able to free your hands from the cords that bind them. Escape from this pit is now foremost in your mind. Beyond the wall you can hear the sound of rushing water and, when you move to where the sound is loudest, you discover a panel partially concealed by slime. A closer inspection reveals it to be an opening to a circular chute. You are working on a way to prise open this panel, hoping it will lead to a way out of the pit, when suddenly there is a grating rumble high above. A column of bright light invades the gloom and, squealing with fright, the rats burrow frantically into the slime to avoid it.
‘Well well, if it isn't Grand Master Lone Wolf himself!’ booms a man's voice from the top of the shaft. ‘How good of you to come to Duadon in person. You have saved me the further expense of having you hunted down and brought here in chains.’
Quickly your eyes grow accustomed to the light and you see, peering over the lip of an open trapdoor at the top of the shaft, the sneering face of a young man. His pointed beard and moustache are trimmed to perfection, and his dark eyes twinkle with a cold malevolence that places a chill in your very soul. His skin is unusually pale and, judging from the wealth of gold embellishment that bedecks the neck of his velvet tunic, you feel sure that he is Prince Lutha, the self-appointed ruler of this city.
‘What do you intend for me?’ you ask aloud, but silently you are dreading his answer. The Prince does not reply directly, he simply utters a soft, chilling laugh as he extends his right hand. On his index finger you see a glowing ring of green crystal and, in a moment of terror, you realize that it is an artefact of pure evil, fashioned by, and imbued with, the power of the Dark God Naar himself.
If you possess the Sommerswerd and wish to unsheathe it, turn to 267.
If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the Kai rank of Grand Thane, turn to 9.
If you possess Assimilance and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, turn to 172.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 306.
If you do not possess any of the above Special Items or Grand Master Disciplines, or if you have yet to attain the relevant levels of Kai Mastery, turn to 287.
301
For a few moments you hurtle through the cold night air, oblivious to your surroundings. Then, in a terrifying instant, you glimpse the flagstones of the keep and the roof of the castle stables: they are more than a hundred feet below.
Your stomach churns with fear as you watch the hard, unyielding flagstones of the keep come rushing towards you at dizzying speed.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Thane or higher, turn to 273.
If you possess Kai-alchemy but have yet to reach this level of Kai rank, turn to 52.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline, turn instead to 137.
302
You spend a cold and uncomfortable night sheltering beneath a stone bridge near the centre of this forest town (lose 2 ENDURANCE points). The rain, which began at dusk, eases off at dawn. In the grey half-light, you gather some nutritious roots and grasses for your mare and allow her to finish them before setting off on the trail which heads east out of Ellio.
Turn to 176.
303
You raise your weapon and brace yourself in the stirrups as the winged horror comes swooping down to rake you with its sword-sharp claws.
Lavas: COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 45
The creature is attempting to claw you as it swoops past; therefore fight this combat for one round only.
If in this single round of combat you lose more ENDURANCE points than your enemy, turn to 263.
If your enemy loses more ENDURANCE points, or if the loss is identical, turn to 226.
304
You unsheathe your weapon and urge your frightened horse along the track. As you reach the perimeter of the conifer coppice, the leading wolf-creatures draw alongside and begin to claw and bite at your steed's flanks. Desperately you lash out, left and right, in an attempt to cut them down before they can drag your shrieking horse to the ground.
Hounds of Vikkak: COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 40
These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win the combat, turn to 347.
305
In desperation you draw upon your psychic Kai defence skills to erect a shield around your mind. This eases the agony coursing through your head, but your body sustains a severe battering before you are able to control the pain that grips your torso and limbs: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
Gradually, you feel your pain subsiding. Flashing motes of light are now beginning to whirl past you in the inky blackness, and faint sounds are reaching your ears, emanating from a pinpoint of light in the far distance. This speck of light steadily grows until it seems to fill your senses, and, with an abruptness that leaves you gasping for breath, you suddenly find yourself lying face down on a slab of damp granite.
Turn to 276.
306
Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation and, as you feel gravity losing its grip, you leap from the floor of the pit in order to boost the effects of the spell.
Prince Lutha sees you come soaring up the shaft towards him and he is frozen with shock. Your swift action prevents him from activating the evil power of the ring he wears, a power which could spell your doom, but you sense that it is only a matter of seconds before he comes to his senses.
You rise up through the opening and strike a blow with your fist which glances off the side of Lutha's face. He reels backwards, but the sudden pain serves to awaken him from his shock, and when he comes back at you he has a needle-sharp dagger clasped in his hand.
Prince Lutha (with Ring of Power): COMBAT SKILL 54 ENDURANCE 39
While wearing the Ring of Power, Lutha is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win the combat, turn to 89.
307
For several hours you wait in the crowded Canatarium for Captain Cearmaine to return. Then, shortly before nightfall, the captain enters by the main doors, his head bowed with sorrow. You sense at once that his son has died of his wounds, and you try to console him as best you can.
‘I must go to his regiment,’ says Cearmaine, his voice full of emotion. ‘It is right and fitting that I take command of them now.’
You learn that his son's regiment is stationed at the Reloni Bridge, at the very heart of the battle. Before the captain leaves, he wishes you good luck and suggests two routes by which you can reach the distant city of Casiorn from here.
The first route is the most direct, but it is also the most hazardous. It requires you to pass through the enemy lines at the Reloni Bridge, cross the southern tip of Eldenora, and then continue your journey north by way of the Slovarian Plain.
&
nbsp; The second route will avoid the fighting at the Reloni Bridge, but it would mean having to pass through the city of Duadon — Prince Lutha's stronghold. (Consult the map before making your choice.)
If you choose to take the Reloni Bridge/Slovarian Plain route to Casiorn, turn to 271.
If you decide to take the Duadon/Rhem route instead, turn to 38.
308
You make your way across this busy square and enter Ladder Way, a thoroughfare which heads towards the very heart of Varetta. Apothecaries and candle-makers' shops flank this wide street until it opens up on an ornate park filled with rare and beautiful flowers.
To the west of the park you notice a fortified tower, by far the tallest in the city. You feel inexplicably drawn towards this tower; it is as if it possesses the solution to all your problems. You leave the park by its west gate and enter a wider thoroughfare called Brass Street. Here you see the courtyard entrance to a grand building whose brick and marble façade is adorned with the words ‘Halls of Learning’.
You enter and ride along a gravelled path which leads to a building where a sign, hanging over its richly-carved oak door, simply says ‘Library’. You feel compelled to stop here and, without quite knowing why, you dismount from your horse and tie his reins to a ring which is set into the wall. Then you push open the door and enter the library's cool interior.
Countless thousands of books and parchments crowd the stone shelves of this magnificent library. Your eyes travel along them until they reach another door at the far end of the hall. There, standing framed in its archway, is an old man clad in plain brown robes. He looks at you and smiles knowingly.
‘Welcome, Grand Master,’ he says. ‘I have been expecting you.’
If you have ever visited a hut on Raider's Road, the city of Tahou, or Lake Vorndarol (in previous Lone Wolf adventures), turn to 348.
If you have never visited any of these places, turn to 184.
309
When you sense that the poison gas has dissipated and the air is no longer perilous to breathe, you enter the cell and take one last look at the prisoner's body. The man's face and upper body have been horribly disfigured by the effects of the gas, yet the extensive blistering has only partially destroyed a small tattoo on the side of his neck. It is a six-pointed star which you recognize to be the national symbol of Eldenora.
‘He must have died within seconds of biting into the poisoned pellet,’ says Nathor. ‘It chills me to think that whoever sent him here commanded such respect from this man that he chose to die in this way rather than face the consequences of failing his mission.’
‘Aye, and if there are others like him who are out to stop me,’ you reply, uneasily, ‘then my journey home to Sommerlund may prove more difficult than I expected.’
Turn to 342.
310
As you fall backwards into the cold water, a splinter of rock slices through your upper left arm: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
Gritting your teeth against the stinging pain, you struggle to your feet and use your Kai healing skills to staunch the bleeding. The dust of the explosion is clearing and you can see D'Val bringing the regiment forward.
‘Are you badly injured, Grand Master?’ he shouts, as he comes riding through the water.
‘I'll live,’ you retort, and hurry to remount your skittish horse.
‘Thank Ishir you're with us,’ says the captain, as together you return to the regiment and lead them across the ford. ‘Without you, this wicked sorcery would have cost us dear.’
Turn to 235.
311
Moments before you reach him, he throws the young woman and her child to the ground and spins around to face you, his dagger held poised to slash at your throat. He strikes and you dodge his first clumsy blow with ease. As he is about to strike out for a second time, you raise your weapon and aim a scything blow at his head.
Eldenoran Thug (drunk): COMBAT SKILL 34 ENDURANCE 34
If you win this combat, turn to 333.
312
You sense your psychic powers burrowing through Naar's ethereal barrier. You have almost penetrated this shield when suddenly you feel the presence of the Dark God himself; he is pouring the essence of his Evil into the breach, repairing the damage you have inflicted.
Immediately you cease your telegnosis for fear of allowing Naar the opportunity of locating and attacking your Mindforce. If he were to do so, you would risk losing not only your sanity but also your soul! You succeed in severing the telepathic link, but the abrupt cessation leaves you in psychic shock: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 136.
313
You are woken by the clammy sensation of fine cold spray on your face. Reluctantly you prise open your sleep-clogged eyes and see that the sky above is uniformly grey, swaddled by a thick blanket of cloud. A fine drizzle is sweeping down across the plateau, but the darkening clouds above indicate that this is merely the prelude to heavier rain.
Sure enough, within the hour you find yourself trekking north through a torrential downpour. The heavy rain makes the going difficult, but you take some comfort in the fact that it will lessen the odds of a chance encounter with an Eldenoran patrol.
Later in the day you come to a ridge which overlooks a sizeable town positioned at the centre of a wide valley. A glance at your map confirms your suspicion that this town is Oredal, and, when you magnify your vision, you see that it is swarming with Eldenoran troops and horsemen. You decide to give this town a wide berth and you stay in the hills to avoid the risk of being detected. For two days you live off the land as you make your way steadily northwards. Despite the bad weather, and having to go on foot, you make excellent progress. On the morning of the third day you come to a wood overlooking a small village called Nursha, which sits astride the main Rioma road. In the centre of this town there is a junction where another wide road branches off to the east. A large signpost at the junction says ‘Abisko — 40 miles’.
From the dry shelter of the wood you observe the town for nearly an hour, but you detect no movement there whatsoever: the place appears to be completely deserted.
If you possess the Disciplines of Deliverance and Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 169.
If you do not possess both of these Grand Master Disciplines, turn to 212.
314
The Lavas turn in mid-air and circle around the place where you lie. They have seen you and are getting ready to attack you with their fearsome claws. As they swoop down, you unsheathe your weapon and spring to your feet, determined to fight them off.
Lavas Sky Patrol: COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 50
If you win this combat, turn to 346.
315
You leave Kalma and ride due east along a dusty track. Mile after mile of featureless grassland passes by on either side until, late in the afternoon, you enter a range of gentle, wooded hills. You have not gone very far before you discover a stream of sparkling water that is teeming with trout. Feeling tired and hungry, you decide to rest here and try your luck at catching some fresh fish for your supper.
Within half an hour, you have collected six fine speckled specimens of Palmyrion trout, more than enough to sate your ravenous appetite. You are about to construct a small campfire on which to cook them when suddenly you hear the sound of a wagon and horses approaching along the hill track from the east. Rather than run the risk of being confronted by bandits, you take cover behind a bush and wait for the wagon to appear.
Turn to 249.
316
You raise your weapon before your face, dig your heels into the shifting soil, and pray to the Goddess Ishir to watch over you as the dragon gets ready to lash out with fang and claw.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 98.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 239.
317
At first you are tempted to use your psychic Kai skills to influence this guard, to persuade him to lose interest in you and return to his pipe-smoking comra
des seated outside the tent. But then you sense that they are not the only ones standing guard over this bridge. Beyond a nearby knoll you feel the presence of many horses and men: it is an Eldenoran cavalry encampment.
When you delay in showing the sallow-faced guard the identification that he wants to see, he becomes abusive and threatens to throw you in the river. To quieten his anger, you offer him a bribe. It is an offer which gains his undivided attention. He says that for 20 Gold Crowns he will let you across the bridge. If you do not possess sufficient money, this greedy guard will settle for half of the items in your Backpack plus one Special Item of your choice. Not wishing to have an entire Eldenoran cavalry regiment descend on you, you reluctantly agree to his extortionate terms.
Make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart before turning to 209.
318
A steep path leads to a turreted gate which marks the entrance to this manor house. The house itself is barred and shuttered as if to withstand a siege. You ring a bell at the door but there is no reply. When you ring a second time, the shutters on an upstairs window creak open and the sneering face of a startlingly ugly woman peers down at you.
‘Whadya want?’ she snaps.
Illustration XVIII—‘Whadya want?’ snaps the ugly old woman.
‘A room for the night and feed for my horse, if you'd be so kind,’ you reply, as politely as you feel able. ‘I'd be prepared to pay, of course.’